Donald Trump Jr. is defending Russell Brand after the British comedian was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison. The president’s eldest son suggested that Brand’s Christianity and conservative politics had made him a target.
He made the remarks during the November 9 episode of Triggered on Rumble. Clips circulated the following day, showing him questioning the absence of DNA and other forensic evidence in the case.
Brand, 51, was convicted on November 5 following a four-week trial at London’s Southwark Crown Court. Jurors found him guilty of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.
Megyn Kelly and Elon Musk have criticized the outcome as well. According to the New York Post, Kelly challenged the prosecution and sentence, while Musk described Brand’s punishment as “unjust.”
Trump Jr. Questions the Case Against Brand
Trump Jr. contrasted Brand’s current circumstances with his earlier Hollywood career and marriage to Katy Perry. He argued that “no one seemed to have a problem” with the entertainer then, according to HELLO!.
He also referred to allegations dating to 1999, a year included in the original charging announcement. The four offenses that resulted in convictions occurred between 2004 and 2009.
The broadcast displayed the headline “Britain’s Two-Tier Justice Exposed,” according to HuffPost. Trump Jr. argued that Brand had received harsher punishment than people convicted in other serious abuse cases, presenting the sentence as evidence of unequal treatment.
His Support Began Before Brand’s Baptism
In September 2023, Trump Jr. defended Brand after Channel 4’s Dispatches, The Times and The Sunday Times published allegations against him. As The Independent reported, he shared an Instagram meme comparing Brand’s situation with those of other public figures, including his father, and warned followers that they could face similar scrutiny.
Police opened their investigation that month. On April 29, 2024, Brand said he had been baptized in the River Thames the previous day, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Brand and Trump Jr. already had programs on Rumble and had attended the platform’s headquarters opening in February 2023. Brand’s connections with American conservative figures continued to develop. According to PEOPLE, he appeared with Dr. Mehmet Oz at a September 2026 event promoting Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda.
Police Explain How They Built the Case
In its November 5 account of the investigation, the Metropolitan Police acknowledged that no CCTV or forensic evidence was available and opportunities to recover digital records were limited. Detectives instead spoke with more than 100 witnesses, collected over 400 statements and reviewed more than 1,400 documents.
Investigators used old photographs, building plans and accounts of events to reconstruct timelines. They examined locations connected to the allegations and reviewed hundreds of hours of Brand’s television appearances, stand-up performances and interviews.
Police said Brand initially told investigators during four interviews that he did not recognize the women who had reported him. His account changed as the case approached trial, the force said, and prosecutors challenged what they described as selective recollection.
Brand denied the charges and maintained that his encounters had been consensual. The jury acquitted him of two additional rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault, according to Reuters.
How the Judge Calculated Brand’s Prison Term
At the November 9 hearing, Mr. Justice Joel Bennathan imposed nine years for the rape conviction and an additional 18 months for the most serious sexual assault conviction. The two shorter assault sentences run concurrently with the 18-month term. Bennathan said Brand had used his growing fame to disregard the rights of women.
The published sentencing remarks explain how Bennathan applied the relevant guidelines and considered mitigating factors. Those included Brand’s lack of significant previous convictions, the passage of time, his work helping people with addiction and the effect on his children. The judge reduced the rape sentence by one year after considering that mitigation.
At sentencing, the women described lasting emotional harm and difficulties in their personal lives. The Crown Prosecution Service thanked them for giving evidence and acknowledged the demands of questioning during the trial. In the police statement, Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said investigators had focused on the women’s reports and the evidence, regardless of Brand’s public profile.
Brand will serve two-thirds of his sentence in custody before release on licence, with the possibility of recall if he breaches its conditions. He is also subject to lifetime sex-offender notification requirements.